Related Links

Holidays are a time for charity

Published: Sunday, December 2, 2012 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, November 30, 2012 at 4:54 p.m.

For the past few months we were inundated with letters, cards and brochures touting various candidates’ qualifications for office.

Overlapping those and continuing into the Christmas season we are now receiving requests for money to fulfill the Christmas wishes of unfortunate children from multiple organizations. Most of them arrive with return envelopes enclosed for the hoped-for donation.

On the outside of the envelopes addressed to us we can usually find the words “A Gift for You.” A bribe, maybe?

Many times the “gift” is a sheet of return-address labels. If I were to live to be 1,000 years of age I would still have some left over address labels. I don’t need any more. Besides, I hate the ones that have me listed as “Ms”. There’s nothing wrong with being Ms; I just don’t like it used in addressing me. I am “Mrs.” and proud to be addressed as Mrs. Any address labels using the “Ms.” are directed to the garbage pail, along with those with very small lettering. Sometimes one almost needs a magnifying glass to read the address because the letters are so tiny. For me, they’re useless.

I hate to throw all that stuff away, but we can’t give to everything. I’ve heard of some of the enormous salaries some of the heads of these organizations receive, and we find ourselves not willing to help pay those huge salaries with our meager income. We know we are much more comfortable financially than many other families, but we try to keep our extra “spendable” income close to home.

If a family member or a local charity needs help we try to do whatever we can to help, but even that help is limited.

Our gifts to our great-grandchildren are limited as to the amount we give them, but they understand. They love us anyway. As far as our children, they are the ones who give gifts to us now, and not the other way around. We host a supper on Christmas Eve and that is our main gift to everyone. It’s so much fun, and the food is great.

One of our sons will do the cooking this year, and several will bring a covered dish. I’m expecting all the children to attend this year, but not all the grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be here. Even with many missing, our house will be filled to capacity, I’m sure.

As I write this, it isn’t December yet, and we’ve already received two Christmas cards, one from a niece who lives near Lafayette, and the other from a grandchild, his wife and their two children who live in North Carolina. I usually find a place to display the cards we receive until after the Christmas holidays. They add a festive holiday look for the holy season.

When I was young I had a tough time remembering to put the new year on my papers that needed dates. I recall that following my high school graduation I was working for an attorney. I worked there from May 1945 until August 1946. I was responsible for typing bills of sale where the date had to be typed in. In the beginning of 1946, I kept right on typing 1945. I usually could correct my errors, but one time a worker in the clerk of court’s office called me and reminded me that I had typed in the incorrect year and she had corrected it for me.

After that, I tried to be extra careful not to make that same mistake again. But I thought it was very kind of her to have corrected my error. But I can’t help but wonder why I was having so much trouble remembering what year it was. I don’t seem to have that problem anymore, even though time seems to go by a lot faster. I can’t explain it.

During this special time of hectic running around purchasing gifts and hoping for certain gifts at Christmas, let’s remember the shut-ins, the sick, the dying, the folks living far from their loved ones and especially the members of our armed forces who will not make it home for the holidays. They may not be “home for the holidays,” but they can be in our thoughts and in our prayers. And even if we can’t give them gifts, we can prayerfully thank them for their service.

Irene C. Michel, a native of

Terrebonne Parish, is a

columnist for The Courier and Daily Comet. She can be reached at 876-3252 or ICMwriter84@gmail.com.

<p>For the past few months we were inundated with letters, cards and brochures touting various candidates' qualifications for office. </p><p>Overlapping those and continuing into the Christmas season we are now receiving requests for money to fulfill the Christmas wishes of unfortunate children from multiple organizations. Most of them arrive with return envelopes enclosed for the hoped-for donation. </p><p>On the outside of the envelopes addressed to us we can usually find the words “A Gift for You.” A bribe, maybe?</p><p>Many times the “gift” is a sheet of return-address labels. If I were to live to be 1,000 years of age I would still have some left over address labels. I don't need any more. Besides, I hate the ones that have me listed as “Ms”. There's nothing wrong with being Ms; I just don't like it used in addressing me. I am “Mrs.” and proud to be addressed as Mrs. Any address labels using the “Ms.” are directed to the garbage pail, along with those with very small lettering. Sometimes one almost needs a magnifying glass to read the address because the letters are so tiny. For me, they're useless.</p><p>I hate to throw all that stuff away, but we can't give to everything. I've heard of some of the enormous salaries some of the heads of these organizations receive, and we find ourselves not willing to help pay those huge salaries with our meager income. We know we are much more comfortable financially than many other families, but we try to keep our extra “spendable” income close to home. </p><p>If a family member or a local charity needs help we try to do whatever we can to help, but even that help is limited.</p><p>Our gifts to our great-grandchildren are limited as to the amount we give them, but they understand. They love us anyway. As far as our children, they are the ones who give gifts to us now, and not the other way around. We host a supper on Christmas Eve and that is our main gift to everyone. It's so much fun, and the food is great. </p><p>One of our sons will do the cooking this year, and several will bring a covered dish. I'm expecting all the children to attend this year, but not all the grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be here. Even with many missing, our house will be filled to capacity, I'm sure.</p><p>As I write this, it isn't December yet, and we've already received two Christmas cards, one from a niece who lives near Lafayette, and the other from a grandchild, his wife and their two children who live in North Carolina. I usually find a place to display the cards we receive until after the Christmas holidays. They add a festive holiday look for the holy season.</p><p>When I was young I had a tough time remembering to put the new year on my papers that needed dates. I recall that following my high school graduation I was working for an attorney. I worked there from May 1945 until August 1946. I was responsible for typing bills of sale where the date had to be typed in. In the beginning of 1946, I kept right on typing 1945. I usually could correct my errors, but one time a worker in the clerk of court's office called me and reminded me that I had typed in the incorrect year and she had corrected it for me. </p><p>After that, I tried to be extra careful not to make that same mistake again. But I thought it was very kind of her to have corrected my error. But I can't help but wonder why I was having so much trouble remembering what year it was. I don't seem to have that problem anymore, even though time seems to go by a lot faster. I can't explain it.</p><p>During this special time of hectic running around purchasing gifts and hoping for certain gifts at Christmas, let's remember the shut-ins, the sick, the dying, the folks living far from their loved ones and especially the members of our armed forces who will not make it home for the holidays. They may not be “home for the holidays,” but they can be in our thoughts and in our prayers. And even if we can't give them gifts, we can prayerfully thank them for their service.</p><p>Irene C. Michel, a native of </p><p>Terrebonne Parish, is a </p><p>columnist for The Courier and Daily Comet. She can be reached at 876-3252 or ICMwriter84@gmail.com.</p>